CONVERSATION:
Lake Worth woman does ‘God’s work’ in Haiti Miriam Frederick is New Life Children’s Home director of missions.
LAKE WORTH — For more than 30 years, Miriam Frederick has dedicated her life to helping starving and dying kids in remote mountain villages in Haiti.
Frederick’s work is never finished in her role as the director of missions for New Life Children’s Home, which opened in 1977 in Port-auPrince for abandoned, disabled and orphaned children. Although she lives in Lake Worth, Frederick is rarely there. She spends at least nine months out of the year in Haiti doing, as she puts it, “God’s work.”
Question: Tell me about your work with New Life Children’s Home.
Frederick: Our orphanage has 130 children, and we also help other orphanages who have less than children than we do. We also service the remote villages and people who are in the mountains without food and medical ser- vice.
Q: What kind of assistance did you provide after the devastating earthquake in 2010?
Frederick: We took children in from hospitals, changed our church into a prostheses clinic, housed people from all over the country, because we had a safe haven (for them) at the time. We continue to create medical sta- For more information about New Life Children’s Home and how to donate toward its work, go online to newlife4kids.org.
tions in the remote areas.
Q: What are some of the most pressing needs in Haiti?
Frederick: We have endless needs as we take care of children who have special needs. No one wants to help them. These special children require more nannies, diapers and special assistance, including medical needs.
Q: What are some of the biggest misconceptions about Haiti?
Frederick: That everything is corrupt, and that all funds are being misused. That is not true. There are good organizations and missionaries that work daily with integrity. People just need to know where the money is going, and we welcome anyone to visit us.
Q: With all the time you spend in Haiti, does it take an emotional toll?
Frederick: Since Hurricane Sandy, I spend the majority of my time in Haiti. It is emotional, but when you see children’s lives being saved, it’s worth the time and effort.
Q: How did you initially get involved in helping Haiti?
Frederick: An opportunity was given to me over 30 years ago for a mission trip, and that is when my heart turned to Haiti. I returned to the United States and became a nurse to equip myself to help the people of Haiti.
Q: What are some of the challenges you face in offering assistance?
Frederick: Every project requires extreme understanding, and there’s all the different cultures when you’re traveling into the mountains. We work in an area of 115,000 people without medical assistance or clean water and that has an extremely high death rate. The biggest problem is fundraising for projects that will save lives. Q: How can people help? Frederick: We have many needs at New Life Children’s Home for our children, which includes 30 special needs children in wheelchairs. We have a school opening in September, and we need help with tuition.